wear out

verb

wore out; worn out; wearing out; wears out

transitive verb

1

: tire, exhaust

2

: to make useless especially by long or hard usage

3

: erase, efface

4

: to endure through : outlast

wear out a storm

5

: to consume (time) tediously

wear out idle days

intransitive verb

: to become useless from long or excessive wear or use

Synonyms

• break
• burn out
• bust
• do in
• do up
• drain
• exhaust
• fag
• fatigue
• frazzle
• harass
• kill
• knock out
• outwear
• tire
• tucker (out)
• wash out
• wear
• weary

Examples of wear out in a Sentence

keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out

Recent Examples on the Web

But on this day, he’s worn out and would rather nap. —Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025

Three Gators guards, including SEC Tournament MVP Walter Clayton Jr., are legit threats offensively, and Florida also boasts four tough bigs that can wear out even the most physical opponents (just ask Alabama and Tennessee). —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025

This is different from other artificial hearts that tend to use flexible polymer diaphragms – that can quickly wear out – to pump the body's blood. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025

Too much laundering can wear out, fade, or shrink fabrics before their time. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for wear out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

wear out

verb

1

: to tire gradually

worn out from exercising

2

: to make or become useless by wear